Dodge Nitro: Street Savvy SUV Lands Down Under

Motoring Channel Staff - 28/June/2007

Sydney, Australia — American car brand Dodge has stormed into the mid-sized SUV segment with the launch of the new Nitro. Dodge is promoting the new Nitro's hip urban attitude as one of its key selling points, adding to the brand's recent product offensive in Australia that includes the Caliber and Avenger. 

The new model will go on sale in Australia from July 2007 priced from $36,990.

The new mid-sized SUV will rival vehicles such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Ford Territory, setting itself apart from the pack with its ultra square styling that is described as 'macho' by the Chrysler Group's Australian boss.

"The Nitro's certainly fresh with macho good looks, it’s 'get outa my way styling' and a kick-ass turbo diesel option that would be particularly attractive to buyers with a price tag that would surprise and delight," extolled Gerry Jenkins, the managing director for the Chrysler Group in Australia.

The Nitro features an attention-grabbing design that is poles apart from the standard mid-sized 4x4 shape currently employed by most Australian, Japanese, and European car makers, and with features like a touch-screen 'Multimedia Infotainment System' that can be optioned with a 20 gigabyte hard drive to can store photos and music, it's not just the vehicle's style that sets it apart from its competitors.

Chrysler's local managing director suggested that with its entry-level price-point of $36,990 and a family-sized interior, Dodge's first-ever mid-sized SUV for Australia may even tempt traditional large sedan buyers. "The Dodge Nitro has a wide range of potential customers ranging from mid-sized SUV buyers through to Falcon and Commodore owners looking for something different," Jerry Jenkins said.

Model Range

There will be two grades to choose from in the Australian line-up, the entry-level SX and the range-topping SXT. 

The $36,990 SX will be the clear choice for owners who want to do a bit of off-roading, as it's fitted with all-terrain 225/75 R16 tyres on 16-inch alloy wheels. Standard features include things like side roof rails, cloth seats, side-curtain air bags in the first and second rows, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 and DVD compatible stereo, and rear parking sensors. 

It is driven by a 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine, outputting 151kW of power, mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox, and also includes electronic stability program (ESP), ABS and electronic roll mitigation as standard features.

The top spec SXT features far less rugged tyres that have a limited off-road capacity, fitted to huge 20-inch alloy rims. The tyres are 245/50 R20 and will provide less off-road, but more on-road grip. The SXT will be priced at $39,990 in Australia and gets all the features of the SX while adding body-coloured wheel flares and fascias, the 'Load ‘N Go' cargo floor, electric drivers seat, an electronic vehicle information system and a premium stereo (with nine speakers including a sub woofer) and steering wheel controls.

Leather seats and sunroof will be cost options for both models.

Exterior Design

The Dodge Nitro release says "To better understand a new product, sometimes it helps to know what it is not. Take the all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro, for example. Nitro is not another mid-size sport-utility vehicle with sleep-inducing styling. Instead, the bold styling and masculine swagger of Dodge (think Viper, Ram, Avenger and Caliber) is hot-wired into Nitro, inside and out."

Them's fighting words and it would be fair to say the styling isn't traditional. Dodge wanted to keep the design within the brand's family 'look' though, and hence the trademark 'crosshair' grille. Dodge claims the oversized grille gives the car a tough attitude, and the lashings chrome add a bit of shine. What do you think of the new design - bold and brash, or positively putrid? Let us know on our Letters page.

Like most of the car's design the headlights are rectangular and from the side there's also an abundance of rectangular shapes. Except for the wheel arches, there's a barely a curve in sight. The vehicle gets its dominant stance from its high ride height and slim window line/high belt line. 

Unlike its rivals, the Nitro has no provisions for a sixth and seven seat in the rear but looking at the technical specifications the interior space for the vehicle is good, offering plenty of leg and head room and a good-sized boot of 832 litres (expanding to 1994 litres with the rear seats folded down).

The range-topping SXT model gets the cleverly named 'Load ’N Go' cargo floor. According to Dodge, this feature adds a sliding section to the boot floor that can move 45cm rearward to make loading and unloading easier. The SX version gets a reversible load floor.

Another interesting interior feature is the MyGIG upgrade for the Multimedia Infotainment System. Though Chrysler/Dodge has listed the MyGIG system as a "late availability" item (it won't be available at the time of the vehicles launch in Australia), the system provides touch screen and voice commands to control most communication and entertainment technologies, such as Blue-tooth phones and the stereo system. It also adds a 20 gigabyte hard drive for music and even photo storage. DVD-based navigation will also be offered.

Engine & Chassis 

Though the name Nitro suggests high octane speed, the engine and gearbox combinations won't provide the vehicle with class-leading performance, represented in the claimed zero to 100km/h times of 10.3 and 10.5 seconds for the petrol and diesel engine respectively. 

Depending on the engine type and model, the Nitro weighs between 1875kg and 1995kg, which is commendable for a vehicle of this size. The standard engine is a 3.7-litre V6 that develops 151kW of power @ 5200rpm which is poor for an engine of this size. Holden's 3.6-litre V6 is smaller in size, yet develops almost 30kW more power (180kW in total). Torque is even worse, generating just 314Nm @ 4000rpm, and when it's all hooked up to a low-tech 4-speed automatic the results are likely to be underwhelming.

Thankfully a 2.8-litre turbo diesel engine will be offered (as an option) with a more responsible 5-speed automatic. The 4-cylinder oil burner pumps out more than 150Nm more torque than the petrol engine: 460Nm @ 2000rpm. Peak power is 130kW @ 3800rpm. 

Dodge claims the petrol V6 motor returns fuel economy of 12.1L/100km, while the L4 diesel returns 9.4L/100km. Both figures are for the combined city/highway fuel cycle.

Both engines are connected to the Nitro's part-time four-wheel drive system. The American SUV features a switchable 4x4 system that allows the driver to switch between a rear-wheel and four-wheel-drive, controlled via a switch in the centre console. Dodge didn't go into detail but did say the Nitro's transfer case "works in conjunction with the Traction Control and the ESP features to provide enhanced traction and stability on low traction surfaces", which would suggest drive is transferred to the front wheels when the rear wheels lose traction.

The Dodge Nitro features an all-new coil-spring independent front suspension and an all-new five-link, coil-spring rear suspension. The independent front suspension gives the driver an optimum combination of ride, handling and steering, providing a greater sense of control and precision. The solid five-link rear suspension, including upper and lower trailing links and track bar, provides higher lateral stiffness for vehicle responsiveness and outstanding handling. Ample suspension wheel travel is provided to maintain consistent ride quality, especially when the vehicle is loaded or towing a trailer.

With 210mm of ground clearance the Nitro sits high on the road, and features what Dodge is calling performance suspension as standard. It claims the emphasis is on responsive, fun-to-drive handling. It will have a firm ride says the American car maker.Solid on-road performance is central to the way the car drives claims Dodge, while at the same time delivering ease of use for urban driving with precise steering and a tight 11.1 turning circle.

Though it probably won't see much off-road use, Dodge has supplied rock-hopping stats: 

Approach angle: 17°
Breakover angle: 20°
Departure angle: 34°

Dodge has equipped the Nitro with disc brakes all round, backed up with ABS. All-speed traction control is standard as is ESP. Other standard features for all Nitro models include air conditioningelectronic roll mitigation, driver and passenger airbags, plus side-curtain air bags for front and rear passengers. The standard stereo is a 6-disc AM/FM/CD/MP3/DVD stereo with six speakers, while cruise control, power windows, 65/35 folding rear seats, car security system and a full size spare tyre are also fitted as standard.

The new car will be on sale in Australia from July 2007, priced at $36,990 for the SX and $39,990 for the SXT.

Related articles:
- Dodge Viper SRT10 (2008)
- 392 HEMI Dodge Challenger Super Stock (concept)
- Dodge Avenger (concept)
- Dodge Caliber (2007)
- Dodge Challenger (concept)
- Dodge Charger (2006)
- Dodge Viper SRT-10 (2003)